Approaching Standard Module C: Close Study of Text

The rubric for this module is, I think, the shortest for any English module in the HSC. It reads:

This module requires students to engage in detailed analysis of a text. It develops students’ understanding of how the ideas, forms and language of a text interact within the text and may affect those responding to it

Although brief, this paragraph has a lot of ideas packed into it. Here are the key ones:

Ideas: this refers to the themes and message of a text. One way we’ve discussed it in class is the “big ideas” of the text.

Forms: this is the type and structure of a text; for example, whether it’s a poem, a novel, or a play and then how it is put together within its text type.

Language: this refers to the word choices and techniques used by the composer.

Then we need to work out how these interact and how the mix of ideas, form, and language affect responders. (Psst, you’re the responder but so are the people for whom the text was originally composed).

Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ is written in sonnet form (form). Sonnets are usually about love so Owen’s ideas about war (ideas), expressed using violent imagery (language), are made even more confronting (affect on responders) for his readers.

Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, uses first person narration (language) and chapters labelled using prime numbers (form) to highlight the protagonist’s Asperger’s affected worldview (ideas). This invites the reader to empathise with him (affect on responders).

Being able to bring these three elements–ideas, form and language–together and analyse the affect on the responder, is not easy. But if you can get on top of it before the dreaded Trials, you should be able to nail this module.